Chapter 82 We Want Both Daddies

Chapter 82: Both Want Daddy

Even Zhaozhao showed excitement, bouncing around a few times right after changing clothes at home. At times like this, his laughter resembled his brother’s, and he had the lively, adorable way typical of a two-year-old. The two brothers even held hands in the car. In truth, they didn’t argue all the time; they had their own dynamic—being there for each other, caring for each other, and growing through their squabbles.

Shi Zai decided that from today onward, he would gradually stop mediating every little conflict and let them handle things on their own.

Just as he mentioned the two holding hands so affectionately, they started squabbling—probably because Wang Wang accidentally squeezed his brother’s hand too hard. Zhaozhao shook him off immediately. Wang Wang tried to hold his hand again, only to be shaken off once more. So Wang Wang held it again and then shook Zhaozhao's hand off himself. Zhaozhao glanced at Dad, sat quietly for a moment, then climbed from Dad’s lap to the other side, refusing to sit with his brother anymore.

When they got in the car, the two little ones insisted on sitting together, but now they were on opposite sides. Shi Zai held back a laugh and watched quietly.

In the past, Shi Zai would have talked until he was hoarse—first asking Wang Wang why he squeezed too hard, then telling his younger brother he shouldn’t shake him off like that, taking turns mediating and reasoning… But really, it wasn’t such a big deal. If Zhaozhao’s hand was squeezed and it hurt, he should say so instead of sulking. If Wang Wang was shaken off, he should ask why instead of insisting on holding hands again… Sigh, each of them was a little right and a little wrong every time.

Wang Wang called out, “Dad,” feeling it was unfair to be shaken off twice. Zhaozhao stubbornly turned his head away from his brother, feeling it was unfair that his pain wasn’t acknowledged. Both were waiting for Shi Zai to address them one by one. Shi Zai chuckled helplessly and called out to his husband in the front seat:

“Brother, what should I do? Oh, you probably didn’t see everything…”

“I saw. Zhaozhao’s issue is bigger. Let him figure it out himself.”

As soon as Daddy finished speaking, Wang Wang understood immediately, his eyes lighting up as he waited for Daddy to make Zhaozhao apologize.

Shi Zai sighed softly. If he ignored the age difference between the two children, Zhaozhao really was… Whether last night or just now, if he was unhappy, he should express it so his brother would apologize right away. But he didn’t say anything. Wang Wang, being more easygoing, didn’t notice and just thought his brother was “bullying” him again… Sigh, even though Shi Zai always tried to make them apologize to each other, it seemed like Wang Wang, as the older brother, was always expected to “ask first.” But Wang Wang was used to Shi Zai mediating and didn’t think to ask on his own.

In comparison, the younger brother was better at handling things on his own, while the older brother preferred “tattling” to solve problems. Probably one was holding in his grievances, while the other felt helpless as the older brother and resorted to tattling…

Ah! Shi Zai ruffled his hair and glared ahead. “It’s all your fault. He’s just like you—holding everything in.” Then he immediately hugged Zhaozhao. “Zhaozhao, do you need to fart? Don’t learn from Daddy, okay?” The little one looked out the window, shook his head after a couple of seconds.

Shu Yangkuo was silent for a moment, then glanced in the rearview mirror:

“Zhaozhao, tell Daddy, what’s wrong?”

“……”

Zhaozhao naturally ignored everyone at this point. Shi Zai was both amused and exasperated. Daddy always had to ask repeatedly before he got an answer, and the son was exactly the same. Asking like this, there was no way Zhaozhao would speak.

“Zhaozhao, did your hand get squeezed and hurt?”

“……”

“Dad will squeeze it. Does it hurt? It doesn’t? Then who squeezed it? Can you tell Dad, please?”

As soon as he finished speaking, the previously stubborn little body suddenly turned around, raised his hand, and pointed a finger directly at his brother. His face was tense, extremely unhappy. This wasn't the first time Wang Wang had been pointed at and he didn’t like it. He immediately raised his hand to point back, but he couldn’t outlast his brother. Zhaozhao could hold his pointing gesture for a long time. Wang Wang didn’t like this, pouted, and buried his face in Dad’s chest, crying softly.

Shi Zai’s eyelid twitched. He lifted Wang Wang’s little face and said, “Your brother means you squeezed his hand and it hurt.” Wang Wang let out an “ah,” quickly wiped his tears, and said, “Brother, sorry. Next time I’ll squeeze gently.” Only then did Zhaozhao lower his hand and shake his head. “It’s okay.” Shi Zai quickly guided him a bit. “Zhaozhao, you shook off your brother.” Zhaozhao blinked. “Sorry.” Wang Wang also said, “It’s okay.”

Just as Shi Zai breathed a sigh of relief, Wang Wang suddenly raised his hand and pointed at his brother—Shi Zai’s eyelid twitched again. He was about to tell him not to point, but Wang Wang said to his brother with a grin, “Brother doesn’t like it when you do that.” Zhaozhao had already raised his hand, looked at his finger, and put it down. Wang Wang glanced at Dad triumphantly, as if he’d figured out how to handle his brother’s little tantrums better. Unexpectedly, Zhaozhao suddenly raised his hand and pointed at his brother again. Wang Wang was stunned, his smile frozen, and he looked at his brother in disbelief. After being pointed at for a while, he buried his face and cried again.

With one hand patting the sobbing older brother and the other arm around the younger brother, who giggled sneakily after putting his hand down, Shi Zai felt both exasperated and amused. Zhaozhao really enjoyed “pointing” to tease his brother, probably because he noticed it always made Wang Wang cry, so he did it on purpose. Shi Zai had observed that Zhaozhao never pointed at people outside; he knew it was impolite. But his brother’s reactions were big, and he found it fun.

Wang Wang cried for a while without shedding any real tears. Shi Zai held back a laugh and whispered, “Why do you cry when he points at you? He doesn’t cry when you point at him.” Wang Wang pulled Dad’s head down and whispered, “I’m teasing my brother, letting the silly kid think he’s awesome.”

Shi Zai burst out laughing. These two brothers really were…

Zhaozhao’s personality was indeed cooler. Wang Wang had come up with all sorts of ways to play with his brother. But in Zhaozhao’s eyes, his overly lively brother was sometimes annoying and sometimes fun, so he deliberately teased him until he cried. Sigh, these two.

When they arrived, Shi Zai quickly took the two little ones to their favorite areas to play. The older brother was having a blast with other kids on the inflatable castle and climbing frames, while the younger brother was in the toddler area, sometimes pretending to cook, sometimes silently competing with another child to stack blocks.

Shi Zai and Shu Yangkuo sat in a swinging basket chair between the two areas. With Shu Yangkuo’s arm around his shoulder, Shi Zai kept an eye on both, worried about safety. The two little ones came to him from time to time—one saying, “Dad, another kid pushed me just now.” Shi Zai comforted him, “Tell him to be more careful, Wang Wang. Don’t take it to heart. Just have fun.” The other ran over and quietly snuggled in his lap for a while, only saying when Shi Zai asked, “Dad, my hand hurts.” Shi Zai would blow on it for him and tell him to go play…

Sigh, old habits were hard to break immediately. Shi Zai was still constantly mediating and comforting them, but he couldn’t rush it. He had to take it slow, or the kids would feel insecure, thinking Dad couldn’t protect them. Shi Zai remained very patient in mediating.

It was just a bit overwhelming. His head was full of “Dad, Dad.” He glanced at his husband. Tsk, now it was his turn to relax. Before, they used to run to him crying “Daddy, Daddy,” but now they always came to Shi Zai. The two of them had swapped roles.

They swung slowly, sometimes not saying anything, sometimes chatting about the two kids, commenting when they saw Wang Wang do something or Zhaozhao do something else… chatting idly, Shi Zai suddenly burst out laughing.

Seeing his husband’s confused expression, Shi Zai laughed and sighed:

“Brother, don’t you think besides the kids, we have less and less to talk about?”

“……Not really.”

“Hmph, I think so. We’ve been sitting here for a while, and it’s either Wang Wang or Zhaozhao. Sigh.”

That was why he’d laughed suddenly. As he spoke, Shi Zai thought, tsk, they used to exchange “I love you’s” and “I miss you’s,” or talk about how they wanted each other to pay more attention to certain things… Especially after Zhaozhao was born, they were busier than before, and other topics became increasingly scarce.

Tsk, it was only during times like last night that they talked about other things.

After a moment of silence, Shu Yangkuo took out his phone and pulled up some photos:

“Look, baby—”

“What is it?”

“After Zhaozhao starts kindergarten next year, we can go hiking together, make desserts…”

“Great! I’ve wanted to learn how to make little cakes for a long time. They both love them, and homemade ones are cleaner. We can hire a baking teacher and have a competition to see whose cakes they like more!”

Shu Yangkuo listened and smiled too, kissing the top of his beloved’s head:

“Yeah, and we can take bus tours together, explore night markets…”

“Wow! I didn’t know Brother could be so romantic!”

Shi Zai scrolled through the pictures Shu Yangkuo had saved. It was actually a list titled “100 Things for Couples to Do Together.” They were all very ordinary things, but imagining them felt warm and romantic. Exploring a night market together… He’d never thought of that in his life. A night market filled with little colored lights, stalls everywhere, holding hands in the crowd, walking while buying snacks, and if they bought something they didn’t like, the man beside him would eat it even if he didn’t like it either, frowning as he swallowed… Tsk, thinking about it felt wonderful.

Shu Yangkuo ignored the people around them, wrapping his arms tightly around his beloved:

“I’ve wanted to do these things with you for a long time. I’ve been looking forward to it. Just wait a little longer. We’ll do them one by one. I really love holding your hand, just the two of us, quietly experiencing every little detail of the world, even if it’s just a sunset.”

“Brother—”

“Even just like now. We have topics, Xiao Zai. We have other things to talk about.”

Suddenly tearing up, Shi Zai buried his face deeper into his husband’s chest, clutching Shu Yangkuo’s hand:

“Brother, don’t worry. I was just saying that offhand. How could we have nothing to talk about? Even sitting here quietly like this feels wonderful and comfortable to me…”

“Yeah, me too. Just holding you quietly makes me happy. There hasn’t been a single moment I wasn’t happy, no matter what we’re doing. Baby, don’t think it’s boring. I’ll work hard…”

Suddenly covering Shu Yangkuo’s mouth, then letting go, Shi Zai took a deep breath:

“Brother, I feel the same. I’m happy with the babies, and I’m happy when it’s just the two of us. Every stage has different things. Brother, really, don’t overthink it. Whatever about you working hard—even if life feels plain in the future, it’ll be because we’re both putting in effort. For example, if you want to do something today, I’ll accompany you. If I want to do something tomorrow, you’ll take me. Just thinking about it makes me happy. If only one person is always thinking about what to do or how to make the other happy, over time, one will be straining too hard, and the other will occasionally feel bored. Both will feel different pressures. Love is about mutual giving and taking, not one person managing it alone.”

“Okay, I understand. We’ll work together. Write down what you want to do, and we’ll make plans together.”

“Hehe…”

“……I’m being serious!”

"Why are you so easily embarrassed?" Shi Zai chuckled again. "We should consider the naughty things too; that’s how we can have even more fun. It’s not like you don’t enjoy it—who was it last night asking if we could go again? Mph!"

Shu Yangkuo covered Shi Zai’s chattering mouth and released it a second later, his ears turning red as he glanced around. Luckily, no one had overheard.

Shi Zai burst into laughter. This guy… he’s really something. Hehe, this is also part of the joy.

He blamed himself for his earlier careless remark—it was just a sudden sentiment after seeing many parents standing far apart from their kids. Naturally, the two of them wouldn’t be like that; it was truly just an offhand comment that had startled the other. But it turned out well—they talked it out once more and ended up loving each other even more.

If not for that conversation earlier, Shi Zai wouldn’t have known this man had so many romantic plans.

But before romance, it’s back to parenting—the two little ones are too energetic. Just a couple of days ago, he was saying how well-behaved the "stinky man" had been lately, and now he’s acting up again.

The next day was originally planned as an outdoor activity with Ji Qianxi and Yan Wei’s families, taking the kids to the zoo. But before dawn, rain started falling, drizzling nonstop. The sudden autumn rain grew colder with each shower, making outdoor plans impossible.

After some thought, Shi Zai came up with family DIY activities—maybe pottery? But they’d been to Yang Yun and Qin Xihan’s shops many times with the two little ones and were getting bored. The last time they went, the kids ran wild… Parent-child? Pondering, Shi Zai slapped his forehead—there seemed to be parent-child baking DIY in the mall. Ever since Shu Yangkuo mentioned it yesterday, he’d been wanting to make cupcakes. Why not take the kids along? After checking with Yang Yun, who was traveling, and discussing with Yan Wei and Ji Qianxi, they finally settled on parent-child baking DIY. They could go to the dinosaur exhibit afterward.

As soon as they arrived, Shi Zai felt the original chattering turn into a cacophony. The six children, some articulate and some not, greeted each other. Even though it had only been a week since they last met, the kids had plenty to talk about. All he heard were words like "Dad" this and "Dad" that, and mentions of "godfathers"—some asking if it was "Godfather Yan Wei" or "Godfather Shi Zai." Tsk, it was a bit messy because the children from the three families each had two godfathers and two honorary uncles. In a couple of years, if Yang Yun and Qin Xihan, or Bai Jixiang and Jiang Ziqing’s families had children joining in, it would be even more chaotic—a whole bunch of honorary uncles and grand-uncles, haha!

Amid his amusement, Ji Qianxi pointed out Zhaozhao, Maomao, and Sheng Sheng—the three little ones had taken their things to another table. Zhaozhao was helping Sheng Sheng knead the dough, chattering away only when playing with Sheng Sheng, instructing him on what to do. Noticing flour on Sheng Sheng’s cheek, Zhaozhao reached out to wipe it off, forgetting his own hands were covered in flour too, and ended up smearing more on. Zhaozhao paused, chuckled quietly, then ran over to ask his dad for a wet wipe to clean Sheng Sheng’s face… Maomao, being calmer, was happily playing on his own, babbling to himself.

Shi Zai laughed heartily. They were used to such scenes. "So? Should we set up an arranged marriage for Zhaozhao and Sheng Sheng?"

"...I still say the same thing. What if they don’t want it in the future? It’d be awkward for both kids."

"Hahaha, what’s there to fear? If it works out, great. If not, we’ll just say it was a childhood joke."

Hearing this, Ji Qianxi hesitated. Shi Zai had brought this up more than once. To him, Zhaozhao and Sheng Sheng seemed like a good match, and his own Sheng Sheng was so gentle… But thinking about the kids’ future felt strange. If they settled it early, he’d feel more at ease.

Seeing this, Shi Zai called Zhaozhao over and asked, "Isn’t Sheng Sheng adorable?" Sheng Sheng was a bit like their Wang Wang in temperament—both sweet-natured. But Wang Wang was very lively, while Sheng Sheng, like Ji Qianxi, was gentler. Zhaozhao, excited today, nodded and said, "Sheng Sheng is cute," then shyly tried to run off. Shi Zai stopped him again. "How about being lifelong best friends with Sheng Sheng?" This time, the little one thought for a moment and said, "Okay, and Maomao too." Shi Zai and Ji Qianxi both laughed. Tsk, there was no point asking—the kids only cared about playing now.

He also asked Yan Wei for his opinion. Yan Wei thought they could settle it early too, so Shi Zai and Ji Qianxi tentatively agreed, planning to discuss the details of the engagement later. As they talked, Wang Wang came over to show his dad the fondant figurine he’d made of his brother. Shi Zai felt a complex emotion, as if seeing a future where the younger brother had a childhood marriage arranged while the older brother remained clueless. Their two kids really should have swapped personalities. If Zhaozhao were the older brother, they probably wouldn’t argue so much. But it was the more lively and innocent Wang Wang who was the older brother, whose playful mindset wasn’t much more mature than his younger brother’s, hence the squabbles. But… it was fine. You can’t define a life by personality.

Wang Wang and Yan Wei’s two kids were purely three mischievous boys of different ages. The youngest, Cheche, always liked to act as the leader among the three, often bossing his older brothers around. The oldest, Xiang Xiang, sometimes ignored it but would occasionally complain to his dad about his brother’s lack of respect. Wang Wang, stuck in the middle, would chat with one and play with the other—so, no one would expect Wang Wang to have a close relationship with them when they grew up. But Wang Wang’s personality really took after Shi Zai—he got along with everyone.

The three families had rented out the place. Though the space was quite large, the six kids were so energetic, and with six adults, it felt as crowded as during regular business hours. There wasn’t a moment of quiet. Shi Zai felt more exhausted than after running three kilometers, his legs sore. The moment he sat down, one child came over: "Dad, I gave Cheche a small candy to cheer him up," followed immediately by another: "Dad, I want a cupcake." Remembering Zhaozhao’s rare request, Shi Zai recalled that Wang Wang had promised his brother a bigger cupcake yesterday but hadn’t delivered yet. He quickly called Shu Yangkuo and sent him out to buy one.

Tsk, being a dad is so relaxing. Here he was, being called "Dad, Dad" repeatedly until his head spun, while Shu Yangkuo quietly watched the autumn rain outside the window… But Shu Yangkuo had raised both kids until they were two years old—it had been tough, so he deserved some relaxation. When Shu Yangkuo returned, Shi Zai asked him to help make little tiger or rabbit shapes. Just then, all six kids stopped their activities, probably tired from playing, and gathered around a small table to eat the cakes Shu Yangkuo had bought—one each. It went quiet immediately. Shi Zai smiled—such rare quiet.

But soon after eating, they were noisy again.

By the window, Tan Xun came upstairs after a phone call and patted Shu Yangkuo’s shoulder. "Yang Kuo, our families are going to be in-laws."

"Yes."

"…"

Tan Xun paused, rarely seeing Shu Yangkuo respond with a slight smile. Strange. He was about to mention what they call each other would need to change but suddenly understood the meaning behind Shu Yangkuo’s raised eyebrow. He tsked and blew it off.

A short while later, Zheng Yuan returned with rain boots for the kids and saw the two sitting silently. He casually asked, "Yang Kuo, are you in a bad mood?"

"......"

Before Shu Yangkuo could get a word in, Tan Xun laughed:

"I thought so."

"......"

Shu Yangkuo was silent for a moment, found Zhaozhao and Wang Wang's shoe sizes, and took the shoes to them.

After putting the little rain boots on Zhaozhao and Wang Wang, Shi Zai, holding each child by the hand, went out with the other two families to let the kids splash in puddles. Outings with kids were always unpredictable; originally, they'd planned to go to the dinosaur museum or the space museum, but then Xiang Xiang called out, "Dad, the rain stopped, can we go splash in puddles?" and all the children eagerly agreed—no child dislikes playing with water, so they changed their plans.

They went to a nearby park, and the six children didn't split into two groups this time; they eagerly took turns playing in the few shallow puddles.

That meant even more shouts of "Dad!"—one had water splashed on his face, another got a little shove. Shi Zai began to learn to gradually "step back," letting his two little ones solve their own problems, whether between themselves or with the other children.

At noon, they went to a famous nearby children's theme restaurant for lunch. After eating, they rented cots for the children to nap for a while. They meant to take them home, but none of the children wanted to leave, so this was the only option. In the afternoon, they finally visited the dinosaur museum and the space museum. Even after a tiring day, the children were still full of energy. When they returned home in the evening, Shi Zai played with them for quite a while longer until both were droopy-eyed and ready for sleep.

The master bedroom now had an extra-wide bed, over three meters across, because both little ones insisted on sleeping with their dad—there was no other way. However, Shi Zai planned that once Zhaozhao started kindergarten in the spring, they would start sleeping on their own. The small study next to the living room had already been converted into a children's bedroom. When they got a bit older, each would have their own room. All things considered, Wang Wang would have slept with his dad and father for nearly three years longer than his younger brother, but there was no helping it. As the older brother, Wang Wang understood, to some extent, that he should yield to his younger brother—for example, when eating together, he would help his brother, so he deserved a little extra consideration in return. In short, they couldn't neglect the older child just because a younger one came along.

But every night before bed, Zhaozhao needed some coaxing. After all, he was only two years and four months old and was recently in a sensitive period for order, which made him feel a bit insecure. Shi Zai would hold him in the children's bedroom first to soothe him. The little one was taller than Wang Wang had been at over two years old. Shi Zai would put a foot up on a chair and cradle Zhaozhao in his arms to rock him to sleep. Zhaozhao also cherished this nightly one-on-one time with his dad, becoming playfully mischievous, pouting his little lips and touching his dad's face. Shi Zai would lower his head and nuzzle Zhaozhao's little chest, making Zhaozhao burst into "haha" laughter.

Zhaozhao's features resembled Shu Yangkuo's more. Rather than calling him cute or easy to praise, it was more fitting to call him a "little handsome guy." His features were more defined, and even at a young age, he had a hint of sharp eyebrows and bright eyes. When he wasn't smiling, he looked exactly like a miniature version of Shu Yangkuo. When Zhaozhao turned two, they dressed him in a little Hanfu for photos. Goodness, standing next to his father, he made Shi Zai feel as if he were seeing a young Shu Yangkuo—that little coolness.

Shi Zai kissed his little forehead. The child's eyelashes fluttered—tch, just like his father's, long and thick. When he looked down, he looked a little wronged for some reason. Shi Zai smiled; he really couldn't bear to see the little one holding in his feelings—especially when he would twist his little body away and ignore people, it truly pained Shi Zai. Sometimes, staying silent and not saying a word seemed even sadder than crying loudly.

He held Zhaozhao's little hand and said softly, "If you're unhappy in the future, you have to say so, okay?" The little one blinked, then shyly turned his face toward Shi Zai's chest and smiled. Hahaha, this little rascal understood everything, probably just couldn't control his emotions yet.

After lulling Zhaozhao to sleep, Shi Zai carried him back to the room and found Wang Wang still awake. He smiled, hugged Wang Wang, and whispered with him for a while, slowly patting him until he fell asleep. Sometimes, Shi Zai and Shu Yangkuo would fall asleep with them; other times, they would wait until the children were asleep before going to bed themselves. Tonight was the latter—not because they had anything planned, but... Shi Zai sighed softly and decided to chat with that annoying man sitting in the living room.

As soon as he stepped out, he saw the man fiddling with Wang Wang's Rubik's cube, click-clacking away.

After sitting down, Shu Yangkuo pulled him close and showed him what he had just solved:

"Wife, want to play?"

"...Heh."

Seeing this, Shu Yangkuo put down the cube, pulled his wife onto his lap, and massaged his shoulders:

"You've had a long day, honey."

"If you want me to not work so hard, then speak up quickly."

"......"

After massaging quietly for a moment, Shu Yangkuo said in a natural tone:

"......"

"Brother can adjust on his own, really, it's nothing. Wife, don't worry, don't overthink it."

Now he was spouting one line after another. Shi Zai leaned back against the man's chest. "If you don't ask, there's no problem," huh? And telling him "don't overthink it"? That annoying man was getting too bold again, asking for trouble. Shi Zai nodded, thinking he'd see how many days the man could hold out.